This disclosure relates generally to communications systems and in particular to managing connections between enterprises and subscribers.
Enterprises (e.g., corporations) need to establish communication channels to various subscribers (e.g., employees). These communication channels may be through various service providers, such as the public telephone switching network, Internet service providers (xe2x80x9cISPxe2x80x9d), frame relay carriers, and digital subscriber line (xe2x80x9cDSLxe2x80x9d) carriers. The cost of maintaining a communication channel to each service provider can be very expensive for an enterprise. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a typical communications network to which an enterprise is connected. The enterprise 101 may be connected to service providers such as the telephone company 103, ISP 104, and a frame relay carrier 105. A separate communications line 106-108, such as a T1 line, may be used to establish each connection. In addition, each subscriber 109-113 may need a separate line 114-118 to connect to the ISP or frame relay carrier. The enterprise needs to maintain termination equipment for each of the physical line 106-108 connected to a service provider. This termination equipment may include a router, a channel service unit/digital service unit (xe2x80x9cCSU/DSUxe2x80x9d), and so on. Whenever the enterprise needs to establish a connection to a new service provider, the enterprise needs to purchase a new line and associated termination equipment. Similarly, whenever a subscriber needs to connect to an enterprise, the subscriber needs termination equipment (e.g., a modem) and may need to also have a dedicated line (e.g., DSL) to the service provider.
The complexity and actual dollar cost of connecting to such service providers can be very high. More importantly, the time delay in establishing a connection to a service provider can be even more costly. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a communications network that would help reduce the actual cost of the physical connections and in which connections to various service providers can be provided in a timely manner.